Transport in Iran
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Transport in Iran is cheap because of the government's subsidization of the price of gasoline. The downside is economic inefficiency, because of highly wasteful consumption patterns, and air pollution. In 2008, more than one million people worked in the transportation sector, accounting for 9% of GDP.[1]
Iran has a long paved road system linking most of its towns and all of its cities. In 2007 the country had 178,152 km (111,000 mi) of roads, of which 66% were paved. In 2008 there were nearly 100 passenger cars for every 1,000 inhabitants.[2]
Trains operated on 11,106 km (6,942 mi) of railroad track.[3] The country’s major port of entry is Bandar-Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz. After arriving in Iran, imported goods are distributed throughout the country by trucks and freight trains. The Tehran-Bandar-Abbas railroad, opened in 1995, connects Bandar-Abbas to the railroad system of Central Asia via Tehran and Mashhad. Other major ports include Bandar e-Anzali and Bandar e-Torkeman on the Caspian Sea and Korramshahr and Bandar e-Khomeyni on the Persian Gulf.
Dozens of cities have airports that serve passenger and cargo planes. Iran Air, the national airline, was founded in 1962 and operates domestic and international flights. All large cities have mass transit systems using buses, and several private companies provide bus service between cities. Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz, Tabriz, Ahvaz and Esfahan are in the process of constructing underground mass transit rail lines.
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[edit] Railways
- Total: 11,106 km[3]
- Standard gauge: 8,273 km of 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in) gauge (146 km electrified) (2006)
- Broad gauge: 94 km of 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge (connected to Pakistan Railways)
Electrified railway is 146 km from Tabriz to Jolfa and the tender for electrification of tehran mashhad has been finished according to Railway electrification in Iran. Note: broad-gauge track is employed at the borders with Azerbaijan Republic and Turkmenistan which have 1,520 mm (4 ft 115⁄6 in) broad gauge rail systems; 41 km of the standard gauge, electrified track is in suburban service at Tehran (2007).
[edit] Railway links with adjacent countries
Afghanistan - planned
Azerbaijan - break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 115⁄6 in)
Armenia - planned - break of gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 115⁄6 in)[4]
Iraq - part under construction, part planned.
- one long link from Arak via Kermanshah to Baghdad
- one short link of about 50 km links Khorramshahr to Basra and is due for completion in 2006.
Pakistan - break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)/1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) - missing link from Bam to Zahedan completed 2009.
Turkey - via Lake Van - train ferry - yes - 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)
Turkmenistan - break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 81⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 115⁄6 in)
[edit] Stations served
[edit] Couplings, Brakes and Electrification
- Couplers - SA3 and buffers
- Brakes - air
- Electrification - 25 kV AC
[edit] Metro
- City with underground railway system:
Along with extension work on the Tehran Metro, six other metro projects are being built. In total, 172 extra kilometers will be built in Tehran between now and 2012 and over 380 kilometers in the other cities. All these work sites are ongoing at present (2008).[5]
- Other cities with plans to construct a metro:
- Mashhad Metro
- Isfahan Metro
- Shiraz Metro
- Tabriz Metro
- Ahvaz Metro
- Karaj Metro
[edit] Roadways and automobiles
- Total: 172,927 km (2006)[6]
-
- Paved: 125,908 km (includes 1,429 km of expressways)
- Unpaved: 47,019 km
Note: there were more than 7 million vehicles in Iran by 2006 mostly manufactured or assembled locally.[2]
[edit] Road accidents
Iran ranks first worldwide in terms of having the largest number of road accidents with 38,000 deaths and injuries per year. Other sources place the total number of fatalities at 100,000 over the past 6 years or 20,000 per year on average (2008).[7][8] Currently, road accidents account for a majority of deaths in Iran. Transport officials say 46.8 percent of car accidents take place in cities, 21.5 percent outside, 19.5 percent on rural routes, 4.2 percent on urban highways and 4.2 percent on suburban highways.[9]
[edit] Waterways
850 km (on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia) (2006)[6]
Note: the Shatt al-Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use.
[edit] Pipelines
- Condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 397 km; gas 19,161 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,438 km; refined products 7,936 km (2007)[6]
- Iran is currently undergoing negotiations with neighboring Pakistan for the construction of an oil and gas pipeline to that country to help integrate their respective economies and solve the energy shortage being faced by Pakistan.
[edit] Ports and harbors
- All ports: Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali (Caspian sea), Bushehr, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni, Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman (Caspian sea), Chabahar (Bandar-e Beheshti), Kharg island, Lavan island, Sirri island, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Noshahr (Caspian sea), Arvand Kenar.
- Main: Assaluyeh, Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e Eman Khomeyni[6]
- Major Export Terminals (loading capacity, bbl/d): Kharg Island (5 million), Lavan Island (200,000), Neka (50,000), Assaluyeh (250,000 gas liquids), Kish Island and Abadan and Bandar Mahshahr.[10]
- Major Oil/Gas Ports: Kharg Island, Lavan Island, Sirri Island, Ras Bahregan.[10]
[edit] Merchant marine
- Total: 74 (2008)[6]
-
- By type: bulk carrier 18, cargo 34, chemical tanker 4, container 6, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 3
-
- Foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)
- Registered in other countries: 115 (Barbados 2, Bolivia 1, Cyprus 10, Hong Kong 15, Malta 79, Panama 7, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1)[6]
- Shipping freight (important for liquid natural gas (LNG) exports) will grow by an average of 5.3 percent a year in the 2009-2013.[11]
Over the next two decades, Iran would need 500 new ships, including 120 oil tankers, 40 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and over 300 commercial vessels.[12]
[edit] Airports and airlines
Iran’s airports are improving their international connections, and Arak Airport in Markazi province has recently begun to operate international flights, making a total of five such airports in the country, in addition to ten local airports.[13] In May 2007 international flights into the capital, Tehran, were moved to the Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA), just outside the city because of capacity constraints at the existing central Mehrabad Airport.
- Airports: 331 (2007)[6]
- There are 54 "major" airports in Iran (2008): 8 international, 21 air border, and 25 domestic.[14]
- Number of flights from airports nationwide reached 31,088 in a month (October 20-November 20, 2008): 10,510 domestic, 4,229 international and 15,404 transit.[15]
National airline:
[edit] Airports - with paved runways
Total: 129 (2007)[6]
- over 3,047 m: 40
- 2,438 to 3,047 m: 28
- 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
- 914 to 1,523 m: 32
- under 914 m: 5
[edit] Airports - with unpaved runways
Total: 202 (2007)[6]
- over 3,047 m: 1
- 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
- 914 to 1,523 m: 145
- under 914 m: 46
[edit] Heliports
Total: 14 (2007)[6]
[edit] Transit statistics
- More than 90 percent of the country’s imports and exports, particularly in the fisheries and oil sectors, are undertaken through the sea (2009).[16]
- In 2008, 84% of the transited goods through Iran were transported through roads while the rest was transported via railroad.[2]
- From March 22, 2009 until Spetember 22, 2009 over 3 million tons of goods worth some $11.3 billion were transited through Iran. Regrading the countries of origin, China was first in terms of volume, Turkmenistan ranked second, Uzbekistan came third, Turkey fourth and UAE fifth. Among the destinations, Afghanistan was first, Iraq second, Azerbaijan third, UAE fourth and Turkmenistan ranked fifth.[17]
- In 2008, some 24 border crossings except Kileh in Sardasht (West Azarbaijan) and Yazdan in Southern Khorasan were active nationwide.
- Bandar Abbas, contributing 40.8% of transit operations, was considered the most dynamic in terms of transiting cargo. It was followed by Bazargan (16.6 percent), Sarakhs (14.1 percent), Bandar Anzali (9.2 percent) and Pileh-Savar (3.9 percent).[2]
- Every ton of transit cargo earns $150 for the country and creates 40 jobs.[2]
- Over five million passengers have been transported via border points mainly Mehran, Bazargan.
- In 2002, about 70% of visitors arrived by land, about 29% by air and less than 1% by sea[18]
- Per capita parcel post for each Iranian stands at 15 per annum (2008).[19]
- One million tons of commodities, fuel and barter have been transited abroad per month (2008).[20]
- 3.498 million tons of non-oil commodities were transited abroad via Iran during March 20-November 20, 2008 (79% of the commodities were transited by road).[21]
[edit] See also
- Tehran Metro
- Airlines of Iran
- Ministry of Petroleum of Iran (Oil subsidies)
- Privatization in Iran
- Environmental issues in Iran
- Economy of Iran
- List of Major Iranian Companies
- Communications in Iran
[edit] References
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b c d e http://iran-daily.com/1386/2865/html/economy.htm
- ^ a b http://www.rai.ir/Site.aspx?ParTree=A01011
- ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3377/html/economy.htm
- ^ http://www.presstv.com/Detail.aspx?id=74892§ionid=351020102
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html#Econ
- ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3298/html/economy.htm
- ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3409/html/national.htm
- ^ Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 07/27/08
- ^ a b http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Iran/Profile.html
- ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3427/html/economy.htm
- ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3479/html/economy.htm
- ^ "Iran Travel And Tourism Forecast", Economist Intelligence Unit, August 18, 2008
- ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3282/html/economy.htm
- ^ http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-234/0812105144192207.htm
- ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3325/html/economy.htm
- ^ http://www.payvand.com/news/09/nov/1004.html
- ^ "Iran Travel And Tourism Forecast", Economist Intelligence Unit, August 18, 2008
- ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3265/html/economy.htm
- ^ Rise in transit of commodities via Iran - Irna
- ^ http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-237/0812247692172850.htm
[edit] External links
[edit] Key Organizations
- Iran Road Development Organization
- Iran Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization
- Civil Aviation Organization of Iran
- Iran Railways Co. (also)
- Raja Railway Co. of Iran
- Tehran Traffic Bureau
- Iran Ports and Shippind Organization
- Iran Ports and Shippind Organization
[edit] Useful Links
- Iran in Maps BBC
- CIA Factbook (Iran Transportation Statistics)
- Iran airfields
- Privatization and Structure of Iran's Transportation System (2000)
